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Although Vietnam has been successful in the fight against the first wave of COVID-19, domestic outbreaks have continued to occur. Given university students constitute a significant proportion of the population in Vietnam, to improve the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Vietnam and comparable countries, we examined their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards face mask use which is an important preventive measure and the association between the levels of COVID-19 knowledge and KAP towards face mask use. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on all students studying at Phenikaa University, Hanoi, using a self-developed questionnaire consisted of 42 questions regarding KAP towards face mask use as well as reuse of cloth mask, and COVID-19 knowledge. Among 728 participants, 40.9% (298/728) were male, 63.2% (460/728) were from health-related faculties, 46% (335/728) lived in urban areas, and 51.9% (378) had good levels of COVID-19 knowledge. Regarding face mask, most (89.7%, 653/728) participants had good knowledge scores, 72.8% (530/728) had positive attitudes, and 76.5% (557/728) had good practice scores. The most common types of masks used were surgical mask (57.6%, 419/728), followed by non-antibacterial cloth mask (23.1%, 168/728). Among 168 participants using non-antibacterial cloth mask, 43.5% reused masks (73/168), of whom 6.8% (5/73) did not wash their masks at least daily. Face mask use knowledge was statistically associated with COVID-19 knowledge (P < 0.001). Face mask use attitudes were statistically associated with education levels (P = 0.02), and COVID-19 knowledge (P < 0.001). Practice of face mask use was statistically associated with gender (P = 0.03), geographical distribution (P = 0.04), academic majors (P = 0.02), and COVID-19 knowledge (P = 0.01). The levels of KAP towards face mask use among Vietnamese university students are high. It is important to continue to enforce the mass masking policy, together with the ongoing community education with an emphasis on the route of COVID-19 transmission and how correct face mask use can stop the spread. To ensure the effectiveness of face masks, there is an urgent need to educate the community regarding the procedures for cloth masks re-use.

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Background and aims Vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to COVID-19 vaccination programs. This study aimed to examine the public attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines, the variance of these attitudes, and associated determinants within a large COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam. Methods Two focus group discussions were conducted online with 20 people from different socio-economic and profession backgrounds. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Key themes were extracted using reflexive thematic analysis method. Results Four distinct, non-static attitudes including acceptance, conditional acceptance, hesitancy, and anti-vaccination were found. Themes identified as determinants of these attitudes were external factors, internal factors, and risk-benefit self-assessment regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusions We found mixed, non-static COVID-19 vaccination attitudes. People's vaccination risk-benefit self-assessment greatly determines the variance of their attitudes over time. Given high public trust in the authorities, the government should take the lead to counter COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. To increase acceptance, vaccine advertising campaigns should focus on providing information about the dangers of COVID-19, the ability to manage side-effects at the vaccination centers, and updated, precise information on both the outbreak and vaccines. Future research is needed to identify the public most common COVID-19 information channels to enable effective community education.

Background COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is essential in controlling the virus. Vaccine knowledge influences vaccine acceptance and understanding this is vital in planning immunization strategies. Objectives This study aimed to examine the public COVID-19 vaccine knowledge levels and predictors of low knowledge levels in Vietnam. Methods A cross-sectional, community-based survey was conducted between 16 April and 16 July 2021. To examine the community knowledge levels regarding the vaccine essentialness and efficacy, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and was comprised of seven questions with five Likert scale responses corresponding to the levels of agreement/disagreement with the provided statements and scores ranging from 0-4. An individual’s knowledge score above the mean score of all participants was defined as ‘acceptable’ and that below was defined as ‘low’. Results Among 1708 respondents, the mean age was 34.3 ± 13.4 years, 942 (55.2%) were females, and 797 (46.7%) had acceptable knowledge levels. Age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0.984, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.972-0.995, P=0.005) and being vaccinated against COVID-19 (AOR=0.653, 95%CI: 0.431–0.991, P=0.045) were inversely associated with lower knowledge levels. Those with a Gapminder income of $8-<$15 per day (AOR=1.613, 95%CI: 1.117–2.329, P=0.001), $2-<$8 (AOR=2.093, 95%CI: 1.313–3.335, P=0.002), and <$2 (AOR=3.341, 95%CI: 1.951–5.722, P<0.001), less than a high school education (AOR=4.214, 95%CI: 1.616–10.988, P=0.003), and non-clinical professionals and/or non-health lecturers (AOR=1.83, 95%CI: 1.146–2.922, P=0.01) were positively associated with lower knowledge levels. Conclusion To ensure a successful vaccine rollout, it is crucial to improve community knowledge about vaccine essentialness and efficacy. Those who are at young age, have low income and/or education levels, and working in non-clinical and non-health education fields should be the target of the intervention programs. Community education programs may benefit from using those who have been immunized as role models.